


When Her Heart Started

by Unoriginalpoet



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, I hate tags, Sweet, i almost made myself cry, katara and aang reunion, katara kya reunion, katara passing, sad but happy, spirit world crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:20:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29479086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unoriginalpoet/pseuds/Unoriginalpoet
Summary: She hadn't been right about everything- no, no fortuneteller could be. But, there was one thing she did get very right. Katara did marry her powerful bender. Had Aunt Wu told her it would be the avatar, she would've laughed. Now?Well now she waited.Patiently.Day after day, simply waiting to see his face once more...Would tonight be the night?[A Katara/Aang reunion one-shot]
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	When Her Heart Started

**Author's Note:**

> Many were celebrating their significant others yesterday, meanwhile I write this, lol. I hope you guys like it.
> 
> [ Inspired by the deviantart piece 'ATLA: Forever' ]

The night was silent as she opened the front door to her humble home, the creaking of the old door being lost to the air as she had become used to its groaning by now, and she softly closed it behind her. She hesitated, letting out a sigh once the familiar smells of the room invaded her senses and eased the tension that had built up in her shoulders since that morning. It wasn't the first time a day spent with her large family took a toll on her emotionally, but it was becoming more obvious as the days drew on that their visits were physically draining as well.

Though, with a warm smile tugging at her thin lips, she knew she wouldn't want anything to change those times she got with them. Her three children warmed her heart just the same as the days they were born whenever she got to see them, and she could only hope that these days lasted for as long as they could. It was all she could do after Bumi fell ill nearly a year ago and had been bed ridden the last few months, struck with an sickness that she couldn't heal for the life of her and had been reduced to simply watching it take its course within him; painfully facing the reality that they were some ailments that not even the best healer in the world could rid someone of. But despite his inability to walk on his own, his fragrant personality hadn't been damaged in the least and that still brought a smile to her face. He was strong; they all had been strong.

Kya had decided to stay close to her brother for that very reason, much to Katara's surprise. The young waterbender had fallen in love and married another from the Southern Water Tribe, a very well-respected man, Asugo, who had later become a representative for the tribe on the United Nations council board within Republic City. The two often spent months within the city, Asugo tending to the political affairs of the council while Kya looked after her brother's deteriorating health.

Katara was proud of them, and of their son who had just that month been instated into the police force as a coast guard for the harbor, Chief Beifong having finally been pleased with his water bending abilities to see the potential he could bring to the newly developed aquatics unit. Everyone knew the chief was just being as stubborn as her mother when it came to the young man, but no one could fault her for an incompetent police force, and she was prideful in keeping it that way.

Despite the busyness that two of her children found themselves in, Katara could see the ease slowly coming to Tenzin's features as of late.

Ever since the harmonic convergence, her son and his children were no longer the sole airbenders left and that brought a wealth of new hope in restoring the air nation to its former glory. He was prideful and stubborn like her so he never went into any great length of his responsibility to guarantee airbending lived past himself, but Katara had always been able to see how seriously he took that burden onto himself, self-sacrificing in so many ways that it reminded her of someone else that she knew. One she remembered would never tell just how concerned he'd been about the future of his people also, and what it meant for the air nomad culture. Sure, the air acolytes were a great means of preservation, but not even they could airbend let alone guarantee a suitable air bender when the avatar cycle found itself within the nomadic line once more.

But the harmonic convergence hadn't been the only thing to bring them hope. Tenzin and Pema's daughter, Jinora, had given birth to their third grandchild and it was confirmed only a month ago that he was indeed an airbender like his mother, coming to be the second airbending grandchild from the couple after their second daughter, Katara, was found to be one as well.

Katara found herself shaking her head in the stillness of her house at the memory of Jinora being so adamant on naming her daughter after her grandmother. It wasn't as though the older woman was opposed to it, quite the opposite if she were being honest, but it was the reasoning behind why that made her old heart constrict bittersweetly in her chest.

* * *

_"It's a girl!"_

_Being quick to wrap the squirming little being in a clean blanket, the task coming second nature to the seasoned grandmother after many deliveries, Katara handed the little one to her mother and found herself smiling in response to the way Jinora's face lit up at the sight of her child._

_"Oh, she's perfect," the young woman cooed, lovingly staring down at the face of the baby whose crying simmered down greatly once held in her mother's arms._

_Katara looked to her side when she felt a hand on her shoulder._

_"She really is," Kai echoed softly, giving the waterbender a grateful smile before he shifted to be next to his wife, reaching out and peeling back the edges of the swaddling blanket so the baby's face was revealed more._

_After cleaning up, Katara excused herself from the room for a moment to release the news of the baby's arrival to the grandparents and returned with Tenzin and Pema in tow, the woman nearly toppling Katara over in her hasty gushing once she caught sight of the newborn._

_She'd seen this sight many times in her life, and it always brought a warmth to her chest to take it in, but, as her son and his wife quickly crowded around the bed to take in their second grandchild, Katara found herself standing off to the side, content to experience the moment on the sidelines._

_That was until Pema said, "she's absolutely precious, but did you two ever settle on a name? I know how much you two had gone back and forth between a few, but I'm afraid you'll be hard pressed to put it off much longer now that she's here."_

_Katara chuckled lightly at that, remembering the many bickers the couple had shared the last few months over names and realizing she wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if they announced they still had not picked one out yet. She watched as Jinora looked pensive for a minute as thoughts clouded her gray eyes, expecting it to come any second, but it never did; a quick whisper to Kai and the smile slowly stretching her lips out took Katara by surprise._

_"Honestly, Kai and I struggled to pick a name, that's no secret, but it's because we wanted it to mean something." Jinora sighed, looking up at Ky. "We went through a ton of possibilities before finally settling on our top five choices, whether boy or girl, and they all seemed perfect up until recently, but I realized finally being able to look into this little one's face that none of the names we'd originally picked would be suitable."_

_At that Kai smiled and Jinora lifted her gaze from the baby in her arms to Katara, her gray eyes beginning to glisten as a warm smile came to her lips. "No, I think the only name that will fit her is Katara. Would that be okay with you, Gran-Gran?"_

_Shaking off her surprise, Katara smirked as she walked up to join everyone else and she shook her head. "I don't mind at all, but why would you want to name your daughter after me?"_

_Her demeanor was cool, but she could feel a familiar prickling threatening the corners of her eyes and she tried to maintain her composure in response. That restraint didn't stand a chance however as her granddaughter began speaking with such emotion in her voice that Katara was sure it could've moved the very mountains the air temples resided upon._

_"Why wouldn't I? You are an amazing person! Most people only wish they could do even half the things you've accomplished in a lifetime, and being the person who helped end the century war is only a small token to your life."_

_Katara could feel the trickle of a few tears on her cheeks but she made no move to wipe them as Jinora moved to grasp her hand in a gentle squeeze._

_"You worked hard to become the woman you are today, and it shows. You care for those who hate you, you are passionate for what's right and you don't let anything get in your way of that, and you managed to single-handedly prove to the water tribes, even many people from other nations who were stuck in their old ways, that women are capable, strong, determined, and passionate warriors in their own right. Grandfather Aang may have changed the world's appearance by dedicating his life to keeping the nations at peace, but you changed the heart of it whenever you left a piece of yourself in every village, town, or city you and Aang passed through._

_"Sure, you are a bit stubborn, hard-headed, and a little too smug for your own good." Everyone, including Katara, let out a hearty chuckle at that. "But that's only a small part of who you are. You care deeper than you need to, you sacrifice more than what's required of you, and you love without ever asking what you'll get in return... It would be a great honor for any child to know they were named after such a person, and if my daughter inherits any of that from you then.. well, I'd be one happy mother for sure."_

_With all eyes now on Katara, the waterbender didn't know what to say in response to that and did the next best thing she could, pulling the young woman into a warm embrace while being mindful of the small bundle between them and carelessly releasing the pent up tears into Jinora's sweat dampened hair._

_"You didn't have to do this just for me," she whispered, not entirely sure why she felt the need to say that, but was none too disappointed when her smile widened as Jinora didn't hesitate in whispering back, with all sincerity and affection, "I didn't have to, but I wanted to."_

* * *

With tired eyes fully adjusted to the darkness that blanketed the room and the wistful reminder that the little footsteps that used to litter her home had little footsteps of their own, Katara went about her nightly routine as the memories faded away. It was the same ritual she had done for the past twenty or so years since her own airbender's passing, the need for light in those moments not really there as the moon casted a luminescent glow through the windows and gave her enough to accomplish the simple tasks. The moon was full and it's energy pulsed through her with the familiarity of an old friend, but tonight she felt it a bit stronger than she had in a long time.

It gave her the energy she needed to keep her aged body moving as sleep hastily beckoned for her. That and the memory of Aang now surfacing to the forefront of her mind always managed to get her heart pumping a bit more regardless of the years that continued to pass by.

Before long she found herself in the small bedroom, hands gently gripping the sill of the big window in it as she couldn't pass the opportunity to take in the beautiful night once more before she'd let herself crawl into bed, the usually bustling Republic City now hushed underneath the moon's watchful gaze. There was always something that drew her to that view lately, more often than not finding herself taking in the sky that was speckled with hundreds of stars. Some nights she mistook the clouds for a sky bison that had long since been gone, waiting to hear his deep grunt echo through the night like it had so many times in the past, and letting a sad smile spread across her thin lips when it never came.

She didn't cry anymore. The thought, the memories, _his_ memory only brought her a bittersweet peace now. After all, he did say that friendships transcended lifetimes so, she knew he was still with her even if she couldn't see him anymore. Nights like these sometimes cleared her thoughts, the gentle sound of the wind sweeping by to a place she could only dream of knowing, whereas other times caused those thoughts to blossom into the pondering of her heart. Was he proud to see how well she picked herself up when he left? How patient she was with Korra like she had been with him so many times? Was he just as proud of their children, and their children, as she was?

She almost knew him better than she knew herself so his answer to those questions wasn't hard, almost always coming as whisper in her ear; but not even his sweet voice would answer the deep rooted thorn that sat in the back of her mind. She was waiting... hoping... _longing_...

This thorn always managed to pierce her conscious on nights like these when she felt so sure he was simply standing beside her; waiting just as she, until they could feel each other's embrace once more. It was nights like these that made her wonder just when the day would finally come.

Little Katara was born into the world nearly three months ago, a precious and undoubtedly squiggling baby she was much like her siblings, but she was also the third great grandchild to be given to her and a stark reminder of a day Katara remembered all too well. Or rather the words that were spoken to her that day by a charismatic woman who Katara knew she shouldn't have received quite as passionately as she did, but in hindsight had been the very thing to open her eyes to the beautiful life she would live.

She hadn't been right about everything. No, no fortuneteller could be, but there was one thing she did get very right. Katara did marry her powerful bender. Had Aunt Wu told her it would be the avatar, she would've laughed. Now?

Well now she waited. Patiently. Day after day, simply waiting to see his face once more.

A wispy gust tugged playfully at her hair and leaned in to softly caress her wrinkled face as if to tell her it was time to sleep, and she obliged. The sheets were cold against her warm body and she took a few deep breaths to calm her weary heart as it thumped to a rhythm lost in time.

.

_._ _**thump** _ _..._

.

_.._ _**thump-thump** _ _..._

.

_..._ _**thump** _ _..._

.

_..._ _**thump-thump** _ _.._

.

_..._

.

"Katara.."

She knew that voice, but it wouldn't be the first time his sweet whispers echoed in her dreams. So, she ignored it.

"Katara."

There it was again, but in a much more amused tone. Why was he insistent on keeping her awake all of a sudden?

"Aang, I'm trying to sleep," she decided to respond to him, her voice coming out in a sleepy drawl though it didn't really match the way she was feeling. Her brow creased with confusion when she realized the exhaustion she'd been harboring within her old muscles was no longer there and she was acutely aware of her senses at the moment. It felt like a dream, it sounded like a dream, but...

"You really haven't changed much, have you my forever girl?"

At that her breath hitched. There was no mistaking the closeness of his voice, nor the clarity in which his words cut through the silence of her room. Could it be? She's been waiting for so long already, this could just be another one of her wistful dreams, right? He wasn't really here.. he couldn't be... it's her memory playing a dirty trick on her is all. This has happened before, where she thought, _believed_ , it was truly him only to wake up in tears with a heart racing at an ungodly speed to see they had always been just a trick of her lonely heart.

But then, if that were true... why could she _feel_ a heartbeat that wasn't her own? With a shaky hand to her chest, she confirmed the thoughts racing through her mind. She couldn't feel her heart beating.

"Aang?" She called out to him softly in a whisper, afraid that anything louder would cause the world around her to shatter. Ignoring the trembling in her body, she cracked one eye open, silently praying with every fibre of her being that this was real. She wasn't so sure she could come back this time if it weren't.

But the world didn't shatter around her, or him; it was real, and he was there. The same grin he'd flashed her more times than she could ever count was accentuating the soft features of his face, and he looked just as he did in his prime. Without even breaking eye contact with him, she moved to feel her arms, gasping when she felt her skin taut and without a single wrinkle on it.

"It's okay," he said gently.

"Am I...?" She swallowed hard, unsure of what to make of everything when something caught her attention just behind him, and she moved her eyes to see a woman standing there. Her smile was as warm as her skin, and her deep blue eyes brimming with unshed tears. Katara felt a magnitude of her own begin to well up and if there had been any air left in her lungs, she was sure it would've been knocked out of her."M-mom?"

"You've grown into a beautiful young lady my daughter," Kya said. "I'm so proud of you."

Instinctively, Katara went to clutch the pendant laced around her neck, but it wasn't there.

"Come on," Aang whispered to her as he got closer, outstretching his hand towards her with a wink. "Everyone's been waiting to see you."

She looked back at Aang, tears running down her cheeks. Peering into those gray eyes she had missed so deeply, she smiled when he grabbed her smooth hands into his.

_..._ _**thump** _ _..._

And her heart started to beat with his once more as she entered the spirit world, leaving only a peaceful smile on the old body she laid to rest behind her.


End file.
